Council must set out Dumfries and Galloway transport priorities says McAlpine

MSP Joan McAlpine is urging the Council and transport body SWestrans to ensure fully costed plans are ready to be submitted to the Scottish Government’s refreshed National Transport Strategy (NTS).

Ms McAlpine said she was disappointed that she had so far not received a response to her letter back in August urging the Chief Executive to take advantage of the ‘head-start’ from the region’s Transport Summit.

She said: “The Council and SWestrans really must show leadership and ensure that they set out their priorities for transport across the region, with fully costed plans to improve rail and road infrastructure.

“It is worrying that the local Transport Strategy has not been refreshed since its initial inception in 2008. We must use this opportunity to re-assess local transport priorities and get them included in the National Transport Strategy.

“This document will dictate transport priorities across the whole country – it is imperative we take advantage of being first on the list and make sure that we push to get our priorities recognised.”

Joan McAlpine – whose election campaign led to the Summit – said she would be outlining her priorities, based on feedback from her constituents, in her submission to Transport Scotland.

These priorities include improvements to the A75 and better road and rail links between Dumfries and Galloway and the rest of Scotland.

The MSP also took the opportunity of Thursday’s General Questions to ask the Scottish Government about its transport priorities for Dumfries and Galloway, asking what action it is taking as a result of the recent transport summit.

Responding in a written answer, the transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “We published a report on the 19 September which detailed 13 actions which cover a range of short, medium and longer term measures, the first of which is a traffic study for the villages of Crocketford and Springholm on the A75.

“We have also committed to review that National Transport Strategy and the Strategic Transport Projects Review which together, will provide a blueprint for transport in Scotland for the 21st Century.”

The report is open to comments from the public until 31 October 2016. Interested parties are asked to send any comments to Transport Scotland at:

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